Solar Domestic Water Heating (SDWH)

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The City offers both a standard and a streamlined SDWH permit process. In order to qualify for the streamlined process, your project must be:

On the roof of a one- or two-family dwelling or accessory structure;
Used for domestic water heating; and
Cannot exceed a thermal output rating of 30 kWth.

Do I Need a Permit?

Plan Your Project

Apply for a Permit

Submit a complete application package, including:

Manufacturer's specification sheets must be provided for proposed collector, controller, pump, storage tank/heat exchanger/ heat transfer fluid (if applicable) and mounting systems. Equipment intended for use with SWH system shall be identified and listed for the application.

Please see our Project Submittal Page for current application procedures.

Inspections

Once all permits to construct the solar installation have been issued and the system has been installed, it must be inspected before final approval is granted.

Permit holders must be prepared to show conformance with all technical requirements in the field at the time of inspection. The inspector will verify that the installation is in conformance with applicable code requirements and with the approved plans.

The inspection checklist provides an overview of common points of inspection, and the applicant should be prepared to show compliance with these points.

Schedule an Inspection

Incentives

Homeowners and businesses interested in reducing their utility costs for heating water can now take advantage of significantly increased cash rebates for solar water heating systems from the California Solar Initiative – Thermal Program.

The California Public Utilities Commission recently raised incentives for solar water heating systems that displace natural gas use by 60%for residential installations and nearly 40% for commercial applications. The increased rebates present an opportunity to invigorate the solar water heating industry while offering both residential and commercial consumers ways to save money, cut energy use and reduce their carbon footprint.